SAB success

The West Ham United Supporter Advisory Board held a hugely constructive emergency meeting on Tuesday night at the Boleyn Ground.

The meeting was called following the decision to name West Ham United as the Highest-Ranked Bidder in the Olympic Stadium process last week and was led by a detailed presentation from Vice-Chairman Karren Brady. The 120 members in attendance were shown plans of what the stadium could look like if West Ham and the LLDC can reach an agreement to name the club as anchor concessionaire for the arena.

The Vice-Chairman then fielded questions from fans on a host of subjects, from supporters' matchday experience, disabled access, the stadium being West Ham's home and the possible timescales for when the first game may be played.

The details of the supporter consultation, including the polling of fans, was also discussed in much detail, with the SAB members tasked with providing extensive feedback on what format and style the poll should take. They will also offer advice on the best methods for ongoing consultation to the wider fanbase.

Joint-Chairman David Gold then gave an impassioned speech to the room about his journey from a youngster growing up on Green Street to the possilbility of becoming the Joint-Chairman of the club playing in the Olympic Stadium.

The evening was then concluded with a brief speech from former Hammer Tony Cottee, who outlined the reasons why he believes a move to Stratford would be incredible for his boyhood club.

West Ham United would like to thank those supporters that attended the meeting for their helpful contributions on the night. Their commitment has proved beneficial to the club as it prepares for wider consultation with the supporterbase, the next stage of which will be announced soon.